The present invention relates generally to wood-product based structures and more particularly, to wood-product based door and window components.
Solid wood door and window components have been widely used for many years. Solid wood is popular because of its attractive appearance. However, solid wood also has many disadvantages. For instance, due to the present scarcity of quality timber, solid wood is expensive. Solid wood tends to crack, split, or warp when exposed to temperature and humidity variations. In addition, solid wood often requires repeated staining and/or painting to maintain the finish and prevent the wood from degrading. In an attempt to alleviate some of these disadvantages and still keep the attractive appearance of solid wood, composite wood door and window components were developed. Composite wood typically includes a natural hardwood veneer attached to a core made of lesser-grade wood, thereby preserving the appearance of solid wood and reducing the overall cost.
Composite wood sometimes includes a resin-impregnated paper overlaying portions of the core and/or veneer. The resin-impregnated paper increases the composite wood""s moisture resistance thereby decreasing the amount of cracking, splitting, and warping that occurs. Furthermore, exposed portions of the resin-impregnated paper hold paint and stain longer than the veneer or core.